Supporting the removal of Turkish occupation troops from the Republic of Cyprus.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 4, 2007

Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. SIRES, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. ANDREWS, and Mr. SPACE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Supporting the removal of Turkish occupation troops from the Republic of Cyprus.

Whereas Turkish occupation troops have been in Cyprus ever since the illegal invasion of July 20, 1974, with the illegal use of United States-supplied arms and equipment in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act;

Whereas the number of these troops has increased over the last three decades so that there are now more than 43,000 Turkish troops in the occupied part of Cyprus, making this area one of the most militarized in the world;

Whereas the status quo on Cyprus is unacceptable;

Whereas the United States has shown consistent interest in a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus problem and has encouraged every effort in that direction;

Whereas the Republic of Cyprus has proven itself to be a reliable partner of the United States;

Whereas the Republic of Cyprus played an exceptional role in evacuating 14,000 Americans from Lebanon in the summer of 2006;

Whereas the Government of the Republic of Cyprus has implemented a package of measures to assist the Turkish Cypriots by ensuring that they can enjoy the same rights and privileges enjoyed by all other citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, such as free movement of goods, free healthcare and education, commerce, and employment opportunities;

Whereas since the partial lifting of the restrictions along the cease-fire line in April 2003 there have been more than thirteen million incident-free crossings;

Whereas thousands of Turkish Cypriots cross every day to work in the government-controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus;

Whereas the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union on May 1, 2004, has opened new avenues for the resolution of the division of the island and provided a greater sense of security for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots;

Whereas more than sixty thousand official documents of the Republic of Cyprus have been issued to Turkish Cypriots, including more than thirty thousand passports, as a result of which Turkish Cypriots can enjoy the same benefits granted to all European Union citizens;

Whereas the United States has long supported United Nations efforts for the reunification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, as set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions;

Whereas on July 8, 2006, President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed, under the auspices of the United Nations, to establish working groups and technical committees to prepare the ground for substantive negotiations leading to a comprehensive settlement;

Whereas the United States Government supports the July 8, 2006, agreement as the way forward to the resumption of substantive negotiations; and

Whereas goodwill and mutual confidence are necessary for a peaceful and lasting resolution of the Cyprus problem: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) wishing to accelerate the momentum for the reunification of the island, urges the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops from the Republic of Cyprus;

(2) calls upon the Government of the United States to advocate for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish forces from the occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus; and

(3) expresses its support for the immediate implementation of the July 8, 2006, agreement as the best way forward to prepare for new comprehensive negotiations leading to the reunification of Cyprus.